Origins: Liberator
(this story takes place just after the massacre which would transform Phoenix Grey into Liberator) ORIGINS - LIBERATOR It began in a desert with a group of soldiers patrolling a small village, keeping as close to the road as possible - things had been peaceful for the last couple of days so the squad did not expect much trouble as they set up camp just by the side of the road. The squad just began to relax when suddenly a truck flew out of the village, filled with armed guerilla-fighters - who began to open fire on the squad: the soldiers panicked as they got to their feet and tried to fight back, yet they had been caught off-guard and soon the entire squad was gunned down. That was save for one woman who watched the whole scene, falling to her knees as the gunfire rained down - unable to do anything but watch as her team-mates were massacred before her eyes.. Phoenix suddenly awoke with a cold sweat, tossing the blankets off her as she sat up in bed and rubbed her face - trying to get rid of the images that haunted her every time she closed her eyes. Turning away Phoenix turned on a light near her bed and looked sadly at a framed photograph of a squad of soldiers, a younger version of herself sat atop a tank and made a victory sign as the others cheerfully smiled at the camera. It had been less than a year since the massacre occured and Phoenix had found herself removed from duty, unable to cope with the loss of her entire squad - many of whom were her close-friends and allies, who had protected her and cared for her ever since she joined the forces. Now sitting alone in her apartment Phoenix felt a rush of anger flow through her as she got to her feet and looked over several sketch-book designs she had made over the last couple of months - many of the designs were either too complicated or awkward for Phoenix's liking but their was one she had grown to admire, which incorporated her knowledge of military-technology. Phoenix had even managed to get said military-technology with the aid of a friend in the forces, though she knew what she was doing was highly illegal - deep inside she was as worried as he was about her sanity but much like her friend she ultimately gave in and did what she felt she had to do. Revenge was never the answer, yet Phoenix could do little else as she worked to bring that sketch-book design to life over the following couple of weeks - eventually constructing a functional power-suit for herself: which soon stood in her apartment. Armed with the power-suit Phoenix began to feel her more rational side kick in again as she thought on the dangers of what she was planning on doing - yet as she looked at the suit she eventually tossed such fears away as she donned the power-suit on for the first time. An instant rush of power flew through Phoenix's entire being as she began to adjust herself to the suit, fearing at first that she would destroy the suit or cause a malfunction - to her surprise the home-made suit worked without a flaw and she soon took to the skies. As she flew across the cityscape Phoenix was both amazed and terrified at how easy it was to create such a thing, the rational side of her mind trying to remind her she was a highly trained soldier but the darker side of her mind reminding her that if she could do this what was to stop someone else? someone with a far more sinister plan? At once images of the massacre flashed through Phoenix's mind again and she felt the anger turn into determination as she made a silent oath - no one would get the chance to commit another massacre like that.. she would protect the world against tyrants, terrorists and the scum which infected it.. She knew she could no longer return to the forces, the police would likely be after her once they discovered what she had done and other so-called "heroes" would never understand.. she was alone.. in some ways that was how she preferred it.. For as she continued to soar across the cityscape Phoenix finally realized what she was - she was no longer a peacekeeper, she was no longer a helpless victim forced to watch as her friends and allies perished.. she was the avenger.. the dark and unforgiving angel of death.. to the innocent she would become a guardian and to the wicked she would be an executioner: she was Liberator. Category:Short Stories Category:Dark Category:Tragedy Category:Inferno-Pendragon Category:Origin Stories Category:Finished Stories Category:Book II